Cover image via
Syahrin Abdul Aziz/MalaysiaNow
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The circular states that the MOE has found that menstruation-related physical inspections among female students have occurred in educational institutions under the ministry and that it takes this matter seriously.
“The MOE emphasises that such a matter should not happen in any educational institution under the MOE,” reads the circular that was first posted in a Facebook group and later shared on Twitter.
It then instructs all state education departments and district education offices to ensure that menstruation-related physical inspection practices do not occur in any educational institution under the MOE.
According to the alleged circular, everyone involved must ensure that these instructions are communicated and complied with immediately by all educational institutions.
The circular is dated 2 November. However, there has been no official confirmation about it.
The allegation came to light when women’s rights advocate and gender equality researcher at ISIS Malaysia, Tashny Sukumaran, posted on Twitter that a student studying at ERT Vocational College in Setapak reached out to her about the incident.
The student alleged that she and about 30 other young women aged 18 and 19 were rounded up and given cotton buds to prove they were on their periods at 7.50pm, 18 October.
The student told the former journalist that the college has been carrying out the practice for a long time.
“According to her, these period checks had stopped for awhile after the furor earlier this year, but began again just because someone performed their prayers alone instead of with others at the hostel surau,” Tashny tweeted.
She added that the students tried to push back against the instructions given but were ignored.
“If you feel uncomfortable about it, then perform your prayers,” they were allegedly told, implying the students were using menstruation as an excuse to escape congregational prayers.
In her Twitter thread posted at 2pm on Tuesday, 26 October, Tashny urged Radzi and MOE to urgently look into the matter. Following which, Radzi’s communications team said the minister himself will visit the college.
1. WOMEN’S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
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2. ALL WOMEN’S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
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